A complete “other world” awaits you as you step through this beautiful, historic gateway into nature’s wonderland of breathtaking geologic wonders. From the Space Needle to the Golden Gate Bridge, this escorted vacation interlude, presents the Northwest as a sparkling visage at every port. This tour includes something for everyone: dune buggying, jet boating, wine tasting, museuming. You’ll also find flora, fauna, history, architecture, and free time to pursue whatever piques your individual interests. Below you’ll see some of the things that piqued mine. The Columbia River Gorge was carved millions of years ago by massive walls of water and boasts one of the largest concentrations of waterfalls in the world. Your visit to the area includes Multnomah Falls, the second highest year-round waterfall in the United States at 620 ft. Though Multnomah Falls is grand and very popular, all of the falls in the Gorge are spectacularly breathtaking. Along with the dazzling waterfalls, lush thickets of vegetation, wild rhododendron, and deeply shaded forests of oak, the Columbia River Gorge abounds in natural beauty with something different to see around every corner. Bring your cameras and plenty of film! To learn more about how to take perfect waterfall pictures you can go to http://www.waterfallsnorthwest.com /nws/waterfall photography. The exquisite domination of Mt. Hood will be a constant backdrop as you explore the area.
This holiday from your everyday life includes a visit to the Columbia Gorge Interpretive Center where you’ll see, carved in stone and observing the Gorge for centuries from a basalt cliff on the Gorge’s Washington State side, “Tsagaglalal“. The petroglyph, “Tsagaglalal” or “She Who Watches” is the logo for the Center. Tsagaglalal is located on a cliff overlooking the Columbia River at Columbia Hills State Park in Washington and is one of the best examples of the aboriginal art in the United States. I found the legend of Tsagaglalal fascinating. A woman was chief of all who lived in this region. That was a long time before Coyote came up the river and changed things, and the people were not yet real people. After a time Coyote, in his travels came to this place and asked the inhabitants if they were living well or ill. They sent him to their chief who lived up in the rocks, where she could look down on the village and know what was going on. Coyote climbed up to the house on the rocks and asked, “What kind of living do you give these people? Do you treat them well or are you one of those evil women?” “I am teaching them to live well and build good houses,” she said. When she expressed her desire to be able to do this forever, he said, “Soon the world will change and women will no longer be chiefs.” Being the trickster that he was, Coyote changed her into a rock with the command, “You shall stay here and watch over the people and the river forever.” Don’t you just love legends?
Now, what can I say about Timberline Lodge? As a student of history, I am enthralled with the beauty and majesty of this wonderful place. Perched 6,000 feet up on the massive south shoulder of Mt. Hood, Timberline Lodge is a classic WPA-era mountain lodge that was built completely by hand from local stone. Built in 1936, the lodge is a masterpiece of Cascadian architecture. Initially conceived as a modern lodge for skiers and climbers, it was built in the heart of the Depression by workers living in a tent camp at Summit Meadows, seven miles below the building site. The project employed as many as 150 men at a time, 90 percent of them from Works Progress Administration relief rolls. Crews rotated every two weeks to provide work for as many men as possible — 90 cents an hour for skilled workers and 55 cents for unskilled. As the building itself was finished (originally with 48 rooms, all paneled in pine), woodcarvers, weavers and ironsmiths set to work making more than a thousand pieces of furniture and detail-work for the lodge: beds, chairs, desks, sofas, balustrades, lintels, chandeliers, stairway posts, bedspreads, rugs, curtains, andirons, fire-pokers, door-knockers, even such tiny but useful widgets as drapery rods and lighting fixtures. Upon completion, visual art was commissioned. Mosaics, murals, carvings and paintings, among them work from some of the great artists in Oregon history: C.S. Price, Darrel Austin, Charles Heaney grace the interior. Today, it serves as much a museum as it is a working inn with more than a million visitors a year. It is a sight to behold and one you’ll remember for a long time. 
You will be duly impressed with Puget Sound, and enjoy the Native American history and culture offered at Tillicum Village. From the Cape Perpetua Viewpoint, you will get a full view of the many tidepools, the Spouting Horn, and the Devil’s Churn. This is yet another fantastic photo op.
Be sure to review the itinerary for this 10 day adventure to the Pacific Northwest. It is jammed packed with sightseeing fun and adventure.
Pacific Northwest Coastal (click here for itinerary)
September 10-18, 2010 (10 days, 9 nights)
- Guaranteed departure (plan in confidence!)
- Escorted vacation (0% fuss, 100% vacation!)
- Tour for active adults (share a great experience!)
- Includes home pickup and return (for clients in Marion and adjacent counties)
Read customer comments about this tour.
Eadie
– Interlude blog team
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Tags: california, Natural Wonders, Oregon, Seattle
